DC Comics recently launched their latest company-wide event, Rebirth, which promises to return the comic juggernaut to something that closer resembles what it was before the Flashpoint storyline and the New 52. DC’s Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns has said it was about “re-laying the groundwork for DC's future while celebrating the past and present. It's not about throwing anything away. It's quite the opposite.”

With so much riding on this event, it would have been easy for the resulting storyline -- which was intended to tie everything DC's done together -- to become overly convoluted, fall flat and do little more than anger and alienate their core fanbase. However, DC seems to have pulled off the impossible (especially if sales numbers are anything to go by) by creating an amazing event that is making fans old and new happy about the direction the company is taking.

In case you're running a bit behind on your comic reading, here are the 15 Best Moments In DC's Rebirth So Far.

15. Constantine puts the lives of everyone in London at risk to defeat one demon.

Constantine risks London in DC Rebirth

Most people probably only know John Constantine from his short lived show on NBC (learn more about the fate of his live-action incarnation here). In Hellblazer: Rebirth, DC Comics is letting you know right from the start just what kind of person this Constantine is. The entire issue has moments that make the reader question his methods and if he really is one of the good guys. Just to be clear, he is technically one of the good guys, but he's definitely kind of a jerk about it.

A conversation between Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel and Swamp Thing even takes place about this exact thing: is Hellblazer really a good guy, and can he be trusted? The reality of Constantine's plan doesn't leave much in doubt, and it ultimately shows just how cocky and reckless he can be. In order to defeat a single demon, he risks the lives of everyone in London. John even admits he was playing a game of chicken, but not with the demon -- with a psychic named Mercury. But that's a whole other story.

14. The Eradicator swallows Krypto the Super-Dog whole. (Superman #2)

Death of Krypto in DC Rebirth

If you weren't completely caught up on DC Comics before they launched Rebirth, then you may have missed an important thing or two. Most notably that the (highly controversial) Superman we've come to know in the New 52 is dead, and that another Superman who came to this Earth during the Convergence storyline has stepped into the light. This Man of Steel has been living on Earth Prime since that event, trying to make a life with his wife Lois Lane and his son Jon.

When the new Superman’s son Jon is hurt after falling out of a tree, he needs to get some emergency help. The problem is that since Jon is half Kryptonian, the only place he can get that help is at the Fortress of Solitude of the previous Superman. While there, they encounter an Eradicator (who you can learn more about here) that survived the destruction of Krypton. In an attempt to save the boy, the Eradicator says it must remove the human half of his DNA -- an action that may very well kill the boy. The Eradicator would have been successful if not for Krypto the Super-Dog jumping in the way and being swallowed whole. Here's hoping he isn't gone for good.

13. Hal Jordan forges his own Green Lantern ring. (Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Rebirth)

Hal Jordan creates his own Green Lantern ring in DC Rebirth

Right before DC launched Rebirth, things were not looking good for Hal Jordan. He was a fugitive on the run, using an experimental weapon that was slowly killing him. If you know anything about Hal, you know that failure is unacceptable in his eyes, and in a last ditch effort at changing his fate, he pours everything that remains of who he is into trying to forge a new Green lantern ring.

Jordan is of course successful -- despite the fact that the Guardians (ancient immortals who founded the Corps) said was impossible -- and his success sends tremors throughout the entire galaxy. This was the ultimate Excalibur moment in the DC universe. The ring of a green lantern is one of the coolest items in all comics and can do pretty much anything, and we do mean anything. So when Hal pulls off the impossible and holds his newly crafted ring up, it made for the coolest "Hail to the King" moment we've seen in a while.

12. Batman pilots a plane while riding on top of it (Batman #1)

Batman flies a plane in DC Rebirth

There are certain things that seem insane even in the pages of a comic, unless those things happen in the pages of a Batman comic. Why is the Dark Knight allowed to do anything? Because he's Batman, that's why! In the final pages of Batman #1, the Caped Crusader risks everything to safely land a passenger plane in the Gotham River. Riding the plane like it's some sort of giant monster, Batman knows the only way to save the plane involves sacrificing his own life, something he doesn’t even hesitate to accept.

What we love about this moment is that Batman just so happens to have the exact equipment he would need to take over the plane and steer it through the sky scrapers of Gotham. Batman is always prepared for everything, of course, but when he packed up his gear that night, did he really think "I might need to steer a giant jet through Gotham while riding on top of it." We realize he has a gadget for everything, but it's getting to the point where Batman's true power is knowing what to pack each day in his belt. Of course he doesn’t die, thanks to the intervention of two new Superman-esque heroes, Gotham and Gotham Girl. But Batman's execution, resolve, and ridiculously convenient gadgets makes this one of the coolest Batman moments that have come around in a long time.

11. We learn how the Amazons made the Invisible Jet (Wonder Woman #4)

Invisible Jet in Wonder Woman Rebirth

Just as Wonder Woman has had quite a few different origin stories over the years, so too has her iconic ride, the invisible Jet. The orgin tale has involved everything from a sentient alien crystal that could change shape to Owl Man's jet that Wonder Woman stole, and it's even been simply a super high tech jet that the Amazon's just happen to have. But with all the different versions of the jets' origin, none are as cool or give the Amazons as much depth as the one we see in Wonder Woman #4.

The main story for Wonder Woman Rebirth (one of the best-looking comics on the market at the moment) has been about Diana learning the truth of who she is. In order to better understand this, we're given another look at her origin story, including the arrival of Steve Trevor and what that arrival means. Even though it takes place on the periphery of the storyline for the most part, we see very clearly how impressive and brilliant the Amazons really are. Despite possessing no advanced weaponry or knowledge of aerodynamics, in a matter of days, the Amazons have a full understanding of how to operate Steve's modern weapons, repair Steve’s crashed jet, and, most impressively, they line the jet in a material that will turn it invisible but not interfere with its aerodynamics and ability to fly. All of these are amazing feats that astound both Steve Trevor and the reader.

10. Harley Quinn sends Red Tool to the hospital by catapult (Harley Quinn #1)

Harley Quinn catapulting Red Tool in DC Rebirth

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone when we say that Harley Quinn is nuts and her comic is just as crazy. It feels like someone randomly selected a bunch of classic comic tropes and slapped them all together. Zombies? Check. Shape-shifting Aliens? Check. Cast of supporting characters from a Saturday morning cartoon show? Check. Rip off a character based on a Marvel character that is a rip-off of a DC character? Check.  The character Red Tool is a thinly veiled (intentionally so) knock off of Marvel's Deadpool, whom we all know is just a knock of of Deathstroke.

During a zombie invasion, Red Tool gets his arm cut off in battle and Harley decides the best way to get him help is to catapult him towards a hospital. When Red Tool passes out en route, Harley proceeds to shoot out all the windows of multiple floors of the hospital so he can land safely inside, because why not. In all honesty, Harley shooting out all the windows and screwing up which floor he would land on was the most plausible thing to happen in the book.

9. Batman scares Firefly away with just a look (All-Star Batman #1)

Batman is scary in DC Rebirth

If you're going to go up against Batman, you better be absolutely sure that's what you want to do. In All-Star Batman, things have gotten a bit out of control with nearly everyone hunting him. The very first issue goes from one fight to the next and almost never lets up. What starts with a three on one fight against Killer Moth, Firefly and Black Spider quickly turns into a demonstration of how the Dark Knight can turn any brawl around. Despite being outnumbered, Batman dismantles his attackers one by one. When Batman turns his attention to Black Spider, he gets creative with a chainsaw and slices off Black Spider’s extra robotic legs.

The beatdown that Black Spider just endured, plus a glare from Batman, immediately stops Firefly in his tracks. It doesn't take much for Firefly to abandon his mission and run for his life. All-Star Batman #1 is a brutal story so far, and this moment of levity was perfect. It's rare to find a Batman comic that literally makes you laugh out loud, but seeing Firefly flee in fear should jsut do the trick. Like we said, if you're going to go up against Batman, you better be absolutely sure that is what you want to do, because you're probably going to get torn a new one.

8. Amanda Waller Intimidates the President into doing what she wants (Suicide Squad Rebirth)

Suicide Squad Rebirth Waller Obama

There are two people in the DC Universe you do not challenge: Batman and Amanda Waller. Everyone knows why you don't mess with the Caped Crusader, but many of you may not know much about Amanda Waller, especially if you missed her cinematic debut in Suicide Squad.

A simple way to understand the nature of The Wall is to compare her to Batman. If Batman represents a private individual who will go to the ultimate lengths to battle evil, then Waller represents those lengths that the government will take. There is no individual person or asset that isn't worth sacrificing for the greater good of the country. This is Waller's guiding principal, and it is a principal that the President doesn't agree with. Unfortunately for the President, despite what he may think, he's not as in charge of the country as he may have thought, so it doesn't go too well for him when he tries to tell Waller to shut down Task Force X.

Waller didn't appreciate his suggestion, so she explained to him why he was wrong, delicately. And by delicately we mean she intimidated the hell out of him in a way that only she (and possibly Batman) can. If you still don't get how awesome Waller is, she is the only person on Earth that Batman will hesitate to piss off.

7. Wally West becomes the Flash, Again (Flash Rebirth)

Wally West new suit in DC Rebirth

Spoiler alert! Wally West is back from dead! Well, he's actually back from the Speed Force, but to the average comic fan, it was essentially the same thing. During his emotional reunion with Barry Allen, Barry gave Wally a hard truth: he was no longer Kid Flash anymore. Of course, what Barry was really saying was that Wally was now and forever more a Flash. With Wally reclaiming a title he had previously held, it signaled the start of something new and exciting for him.

And with the new title though it was time for a new costume. We're suckers for new custumes, so we're not ashamed to say that we geeked out a little to see Wally change his costume to reflect his "resurrection" and his new title. It was an exciting moment for Wally, but also for fans of his who were disappointed that the traditional version of the character was left out of the New 52.

6. Cyborg admits to having a man crush on Superman (Justice League #1)

Cyborg has a mancrush on Superman in DC Rebirth

It wouldn’t be a Justice League comic if there wasn’t some extinction-level event threatening the Earth. Rebirth gets things started for the team by having all hands on deck to stop devastation all over the planet. After Cyborg looses contact with most of the team, Batman finally makes contact. After updating him on the state of things in Gotham, Bats asks for an update on Superman. Considering that the League and Batman in particular still aren't sure about this new Superman, he wants to keep tabs on what he is doing during the crisis -- understandably so.

Cyborg relays that Superman is basically everywhere, a fact that doesn’t fail to impress Cyborg, which leads him to concede that he has a bit of a man crush on Superman. while it's funny moment for sure, Cyborg is a teammate of the most powerful beings on the planet. Considering everything the members of the League were accomplishing (the Flash evacuated all of Northern California by himself), this should put Superman's actions in context of how remarkable he is. So it makes perfect sense that Cyborg would have a man crush on the Man of Steel. Don't you?

5. Lois Lane, the new Superwoman, is killed in the first issue (Superwoman #1)

Superwoman Lois Lane Dies Dead

 

The new Superwoman book was another comic dealing with the fallout of Superman’s death just before the Rebirth event began. The book starts as Lois Lane makes her debut as the new Superwoman, and she's great. With the help of Lana Lane, who just so happened to also have developed powers, they decide to work together to help fill the void left by Superman.

They seem to be a promising up and coming team for the entire issue -- until the final page, when Superwoman is killed by what looks like a Rebirth version of Bizzaro Girl. What the hell DC? You spend an entire book getting us excited for a Lois Lane Superwoman and then you rip her away from us! Don't get us wrong we're equally as excited for Lana Lang's character, whose powers appear to be a throwback to Electric Superman from the '90s. But Lois' death was definitely a shocker; seriously, who kills Lois Lane?

4. Wonder Woman decimates an entire tank brigade with a lightning bolt (Justice League #1)

Wonder Woman and a lightening bolt in DC Rebirth

Everyone knows Wonder Woman is a force to be reckoned with. There is no greater warrior on the Justice League, and she's arguably the strongest fighter in the DC universe. Trained since birth to be a warrior, it's always a sight to behold when she cuts loose in a fight. So when all hell is breaking loose on Earth and the entire Justice League is out dealing with other issues, it was no surprise to find Wonder Woman already in the middle of a fight.

We'd be lying if at any point we thought Wonder Woman was ever at risk of losing (just look at that power set of hers). That being said, it was insanely cool to see Wonder Woman decimate an entire tank brigade while wielding Zeus’ lightning bolt in Justice League #1. What was happening that required such raw power? A border dispute or something, but honestly it really doesn't matter. It was just awesome to see her unleash like that.

3. The most Epic Batman Moment So Far (Batman #2)

Commissioner Gordon explains the Batman in DC Rebirth

When you're reading comic, it's a rare occurrence when you come across a scene and think “that moment right there needs to be in a DC film." Tom King, the writer behind Batman #2, has done exactly that. It is a scene that captured the essence of Batman so perfectly, it is easily one of the best things to happen so far in Rebirth.

During a meeting with Commissioner Gordon and the 2 new heroes in town, Gotham and Gotham Girl, Batman completely vanishes. The two new heroes are shocked when they can’t see him with their ultra vision, and Gordon dryly explains the reason for this: "It's not impossible kids, it's Batman."

It may not be much of a game-changer, but don't downplay the awesomeness of this moment. This was the mic drop, where Batman shows why he is the most feared hero in the DC Universe. It screamed "Screw your superpowers, I'm the goddamn Batman."

2. The New 52 Universe reboot was caused by Dr. Manhattan (Rebirth #1)

Dr. Manhattan

One of the biggest surprises from the initial Rebirth comic was the revelation of who the mastermind behind the New 52 really was. It was a real shocker to find out that Dr. Manhattan, the seemingly omnipotent being from Allen Moore’s Watchmen, apparently felt the need to mess around in the DC Universe. You may have found yourself wondering if this was all part of the plan from the beginning, since it seems crazy to think that when they kicked off Flashpoint back in 2011, they did so with this in mind.

The idea that this entire series of events would end with a fight between the main DC Universe and Dr. Manhattan is nothing short of mind-blowing. We can’t even begin to imagine what the end game is for this, but it has to be more than just a clever way of combining the two universes. Whatever it is, the possibilities that open up with Dr. Manhattan as the big bad are exciting to consider.

1. Wally West returns to life (Rebirth #1)

Barry Allen and Wally West Hug DC Rebirth

What happens when DC does a massive company-wide event that changes everything? In the case of Flashpoint and the New 52 it meant removing fan-favorite Wally West from existence (well, at least the version we were familiar with). Fans were outraged over this move and couldn't understand why it happened. Why would DC get rid of one of their most beloved characters? It made no sense, it was pure madness; at least according to the internet anyway.

When Rebirth finally arrived and fans everywhere were treated to the return of Wally West, it felt like our cries had actually been heard. Wally was back, and with him came the promise of setting things right, so there was no way that this wouldn't be the #1 greatest thing to happen so far in DC Rebirth.His reunion with Barry Allen was one of the most truly emotional scenes in a comic that we;ve seen in a long time, and it felt like Barry's words were an apology to fans everywhere: "I...I'm so sorry Wally... oh God...How could I ever forget you!" That’s why his return is such a big deal and has received praise from DC fans everywhere.

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What's your favorite moment from Rebirth so far? Let us know in the comments.

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